2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zarnstorff
A locational surname derived from a place name in northern Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Zarnstorff. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zarnstorff surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Zarnstorff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarnstorff, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zarnstorff
The surname Zarnstorff finds its origins in Germany, likely during the Middle Ages, around the 12th to 14th centuries. This name is believed to have originated from the regions encompassing northern Germany, specifically from areas such as Lower Saxony or Mecklenburg. Historically, the suffix '-storff' suggests a connection to a village or settlement, akin to the Old High German term 'dorf,' meaning village. The prefix 'Zarn-' could be derived from the Middle Low German word 'zarne,' associated with harsh terrain or thorny areas, implying that Zarnstorff originally referred to a village located in a rugged or thorny locale.
Early historical references to the surname Zarnstorff appear in various documents and records. One of the earliest known mentions is from a 14th-century manuscript detailing the property holdings in the Lower Saxony region, indicating the name was already established by that time. The surname is also found in parish records and official documents of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northwestern and Central Europe around the 14th and 15th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded examples of an individual bearing the surname Zarnstorff is Johann Zarnstorff, a notable merchant from Hamburg, documented in 1384. His records highlight trade activities with Scandinavian counterparts, underscoring the economic reach of German merchants during that time. Another significant historical figure was Wilhelm Zarnstorff, an artisan recognized in a 1562 ledger for crafting fine wooden sculptures in Lübeck, another major Hanseatic League city.
In the 17th century, the Zarnstorff name appears again with Christian Zarnstorff, born in 1618, who was a pastor and scholar in Rostock. He was known for his erudite contributions to theological discussions and his involvement in the Thirty Years' War, highlighting the interplay between religion and politics in that era. Additionally, the name was carried by Günther Zarnstorff, a military officer recorded in 1689, serving in the army of Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, indicating that members of the Zarnstorff family were also involved in military and political affairs.
In the 18th century, one notable individual was Friederike Zarnstorff, born in 1735, who was a prominent figure in the artistic circles of Berlin. She was recognized for her contributions to the early Romantic movement in German art and poetry, engaging with luminaries such as Goethe and Schiller. This period also saw Hans Ludwig Zarnstorff, a documented publisher in Leipzig around 1782, whose work significantly contributed to the dissemination of Enlightenment ideas.
These historical mentions of the Zarnstorff surname illustrate a rich lineage, embedded in various facets of German heritage, from commerce and craftsmanship to theology, military affairs, and the arts. Each figure bearing the name Zarnstorff has contributed distinctly to the cultural and historical tapestry of Germany, leaving an enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zarnstorff
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarnstorff, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Zarnstorff bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Zarnstorff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zarnstorff
Zarnstorff appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,211 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-9 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,065 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,211 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 9,065 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Zarnstorff surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #141,140 | #150,205 | -6.4% |
| Count | 118 | 109 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zarnstorff bearers went from 118 to 109 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 9,065 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #150,205.
FAQ
Zarnstorff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zarnstorff?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Zarnstorff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Zarnstorff?
Zarnstorff ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Zarnstorff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Zarnstorff.
Has Zarnstorff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zarnstorff went from 118 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Zarnstorff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarnstorff, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zarnstorff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zarnstorff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Hispanic (2.8%), Black (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Zarnstorff (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Zarnstorff mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in northern Germany. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Zarnstorff (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Zarnstorff?
See how many people have the surname Zarnstorff on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.